Infrastructure for which resource management is to be performed can be a single site with one or more physical facilities (buildings) or can be a multi-site distributed facility. A facility may be characterized by its space, functions, and policies associated with the facility. Typically, space refers to the dimensions, physical coordinates, rooms, open-space, separators, etc., of the infrastructure. Functions usually refer to the purpose for which a “space” is being used, for example: office, data-center, pantry, etc. Policies may specify the limits and conditions of usage of a space, for example how long a particular temperature should be maintained, when lights must be turned on or off, etc. A spatial model of a target infrastructure may embody these space, function, and policy information.
A facility may also be characterized by the flow of energy from sources of energy to the user-end consumption point(s), and conversion of the energy at different stages. A model of such flows of energy may be referred to as an energy model.
Creation of spatial model and energy model for a target infrastructure for energy management is difficult. It is particularly complicated in the case of a distributed facility with different climate conditions, variation in functional usage, difference in time-zone, diversity of policies, etc.